Governor Rauf Aregbesola has demonstrated that human
beings can make impact in any given society, not necessarily because of
wealth but because of ideas and it has since been said that ideas ruled
the world. Aregbesola has something in common with Fidel Castro, the
late leader of Cuba. Castro was criticised by the West, but at the end
of the day, Cuba was the only country in the Americas with no single
record of child malnourishment; declared an “International Paradise ”
by UNICEF, the country has the lowest child death rate in the two
continents of America. Boasting some of the best human development
indices in the world, particularly in education and health. It is not an
exaggeration that what Castro did in Cuba, Aregbesola has done the same
in the State of Osun.
A song writer penned this
song ” We shall be remembered, we shall be remembered by what we have
done”. One of the founding fathers of Newswatch magazine, Ray Epku
recently asked in his article in The Guardian, if Aregbsola will be
remembered by his state. We know that history is written by a Victor.
Every public office holder starts writing his story from the moment he
is elected. Aregbesola will certainly be remembered for his numerous
unforgettable good deeds. The Philosopher states: ” the best way to live
is to live in the present and not attempt to shape the future. “
There
are many people like Ekpu living in Osun, and others outside the state
who might have heard about Aregbesola and possibly out of curiosity,
eager to find out what he has done the last eight years. It is obvious
that a leader must be represented by what he stands for either for good
or for evil. As far as history of the tenure of the outgoing governor is
concerned, he will surely be remembered for his several unforgettable
good deeds. A one time PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, once
stated that the state has nothing to show as an achievement for the past
six years. Just as it is often said that when lies is allowed to
prevail for long it might be taken for the truth. There were three
groups of men in the state who nursed defeat they suffered as a result
of Aregbesola’s victory at the polls. The first group was those who held
on to power due to Electoral manipulation for three and a half years
before they were sacked by the Court of Appeal. Some have since joined
the APC. The second group were the men that were counting on the time
that the gubernatorial election will come to their zones, but the court
verdict blew off their chance. This second group are much more
desperate. One of them vowed in 2014 that he must win the election at
all costs, failure which he was ready to die. He tried but failed but
has since refused to die. The third group consists of political
hangers-on. They benefit from the power that be. The change of power
has since rendered them beggars and haters of Aregbsola’s
administration. Initially, they falsely alleged that the incumbent
governor suffered from cancer, but when that kite failed to fly, they
took to criticising him that he was doing nothing in the state. Later
when Aregbesola turned the whole state to one great construction site,
they were dumbfounded and started saying that the state indebtedness was
beyond redemption. So far, there is no local government council area
that have not seen the impact of Aregbesola’s administration. The
six-point integral Action plan: Banish Poverty, Banish Hunger, Banish
Unemployment, Restore Healthy living, Promote Functional Education, and
Enhance Communal Peace and Progress continue as the guiding principles
till date. Will Aregbesola be remembered? Yes, he would be
remembered as the man who whose mandate was stolen by the then
incumbent but fought a legal battle for three and half years to regain
it to the extent that the then Federal Government was much more
concerned that the Electoral Law was amended to ensure that future
Electoral litigation do not exceed six months. Aregbesola would be
remembered as the first governor in Nigeria that employed 20,000 youths
under the Osun Youths Employment Scheme (OYES) within his first 100
days in office. If his critics forget and go ahead that the man has done
nothing in the past eight years in office, the youths in their various
wards and local governments areas will stand to counter their negative
comments that they were the beneficiaries of Aregbesola’s empowerment
policies. Their parents and relations will speak to the electorate that
they have become employers of labour through the OYES SCHEME. About
40 of the former beneficiaries of the scheme will mobilise their
households that they became landlords through the OYES Scheme, and that
if the scheme has not been on the ground they might still be wandering
about seeking for jobs that are not available. Just few weeks ago
another batch of the OYES Scheme has commenced the service despite the
lean purse of the state. If political opponents failed to see what the
man Aregbesola has done in the state for the past eight years, the
students that were formerly learning in poultry sheds will celebrate the
icon of modern innovator of Opon Imo, a learning device that contains
over 64 text books, past questions and answers in WAEC EXAMINATION NECO
and JAMB. A device that was acknowledged by UNESCO and even WAEC. An
educational device that made Osun and the helmsman to receive several
awards across the globe. The over 20 newly-constructed High Schools, 22
Elementary Schools are enough cynosure for those with eyes,
irrespective of tribes, colour or religion. It is no more news that
President Muhammadu Buhari was dumbfounded as to how the governor was
able to fund such facilities despite the economic downturn. Apart from
the modern facilities that were provided in these new schools, the
schools were given befitting school buses to transport students to and
from schools. We may forget that the man provides free school uniforms
for over 75,000 students across the state, but would the parents and
pupils forget? But in case they do, in the future when it shall be
asked who introduced the same uniforms for all the pupils in primary and
secondary schools, whose name would they mention? Free meals are daily
being served across the state to the extent that the state experienced
geometrical increase in school enrolment in the primary schools above
any other states in Nigeria. The free meals scheme has also provided
markets for both farmers and poultry farmers beyond the state. The eggs
consumption by the pupils went beyond the supply of the local farmers
to the extent that farmers in Kwara State now sells for the state
cooks.As if that was all the state need to serve as a model to the
Federal government who has since adopted the free schools meal. The
United Kingdom was highly impressed by the school meal programme that
the governor was invited to address the UK parliament over it. On the
introduction of free schools meal in UK, each parent was projected to
save about £50,000 annually. A prophet they said has no respect except
in his own home, while our people fail to see that healthy and well-fed
children will learn better and perform excellently well, a foreign
country saw the importance. The Primary school enrolment rose from 40%
to 80% in 2014, the highest in Nigeria.The 2017 West African Examination
Council (WAEC) was the best so far in the history of the state as the
students’ results rose from 49.5% to 70%. The Americans do say “aren’t
seen nothing yet”. In case those who claimed the man cannot be
remembered for anything, maybe they are always flying to and from the
state otherwise they are likely to have passed through the trumpet
bridge that is under construction at Gbongan. They are likely to have
been to Orileowu or to Osogbo, Ilesa, Ikirun Ile Ife, but in case they
have not, let them ask from anybody from any of the 30 local government
areas and the newly established Developmental areas if they have
experienced any road construction, the answer would likely be
positive. The health sector and those that have been saved due to the
nearest of hospitals and maternity centres would remember that a man was
in-charge of the state for eight years. The accident victims that were
saved through the prompt response of the O’ Ambulances will remember
that Aregbesola saved them from death. The REHAB, the agency that
picks and rehabilitate the mentally-challenged people across the state
will forever be grateful for the man that rescued and rehabilitated them
and gave them a new life to live.
On the
security; the state has never had it so good as it is today under the
leadership of Aregbesola. Prior to his advent, armed robbers were
rattling communities so terribly to the extent that banks in Ejigbo,
Ikirun and other places had to be closed down. This government invested
heavily both in men and security gadgets including armoured vehicles.
Aregbesola is leaving the state as one of the safest states in Nigeria
